The present invention relates to an integrated apparatus for ethanol production and extraction, and more particularly relates to a self-contained system useable in small, mid-level and/or large scale operations for manufacture of ethanol from organic stock, such as corn. However, the present inventive concepts are not believed to be limited to only ethanol, nor to only fermentation of a corn mash, nor to only integrated systems.
Recent energy needs (and high costs) in the United States have revived strong interest in using ethanol as a fuel source. However, many known processes focus on large sophisticated systems capable of generating large volumes of ethanol in a “factory-like” high-volume distillery. They often generate significant amounts of environmentally unfriendly “non-green” by-products (and pollutants) that must be disposed of, and further they consume large amounts of energy in order to manufacture the desired ethanol product. To the present inventors' knowledge, a system has not been developed that is highly integrated and sufficiently small to be portable and “self-contained,” nor that is integrated and energy efficient in order to minimize use of external power. Further, in our opinion, to our knowledge a system has not been developed that is “mechanically simple,” nor that uses known technologies in a manner so that relatively untrained “common” people and farmers can run it. Further, any such system should preferably use non-exotic technologies and not be capital-intensive, so that it is affordable for small to medium-sized entities and farms. Still further, the system should preferably be capable of providing significant amounts of ethanol concentrated sufficiently for use as combustible fuel, as well as produce useable byproducts that are not environmental pollutants, . . . and do so without the need for large amounts of external energy.
Typical ethanol extraction systems that we know of heat and/or dry mash at relatively high temperatures, and then collect ethanol after it is created by fermentation. The mash is often a ground corn mixed with water and with yeast and/or enzyme. A problem is that these systems use a lot of external energy to create ethanol. Further, they also create a lot of waste water and inconsistent by-product feed supplement. For example, in our opinion, the “spent mash” (i.e., the remaining distillers grains after fermentation has ended) from know “heat-added” processes is often inconsistent in feed quality for various livestock due to its altered (lowered) nutrient value caused by excessive heating during the distillation and distillers grains drying process. This problem is aggravated and made worse by “over-cooking” or over-heating of the mash during the fermenting process. We note that, in known apparatus and methods, high heat and over-heating often occurs in an attempt to speed up the process.